Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Many whose hearts are very carnal, may be much for Church-Ordinances. We have in the 24. of Ezekiel, ver. 21, 22. seven several expressions of carnal hearts, prising Church-privileges. First, they accounted them their strength. Secondly, the excellency of their strength. Thirdly, the desire of their eyes. Fourthly, that which their souls pitied. Fifthly, their glory. Sixthly, the joy of their glory. Seventhly, that whereupon they set their minds. What a noise did they make about the Temple of the Lord? The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, Jer. 7. 4. and yet they were carnal: Take heed therefore you ⟨p. 286⟩rest not in the Church-privileges, by this you will deceive your selves, and darken the excellency of this blessed communion.

Many whose hearts are very carnal, may be much for Church-Ordinances. We have in the 24. of Ezekiel, ver. 21, 22. seven several expressions of carnal hearts, prising Church-priviledges. First, they accounted them their strength. Secondly, the excellency of their strength. Thirdly, the desire of their eyes. Fourthly, that which their souls pitied. Fifthly, their glory. Sixthly, the joy of their glory. Seventhly, that whereupon they set their mindes. What a noise did they make about the Temple of the Lord? The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, Ier. 7. 4. and yet they were carnal: Take heed therefore you ⟨p. 286⟩rest not in the Church-priviledges, by this you will deceive your selves, and darken the excellency of this blessed communion.

Secondly, take heed of darkening this by any scandalous way, as those do who profess themselves to be the people of God, and yet by their wretched ways of sensualities, or any other ways, are a scandal unto Gods people, this is an evil, and a bitter thing. Christ walks amongst the golden candlesticks: Every Church should be a golden candlestick, holding forth light in the Doctrine of it, and golden in the holy conversation of it. We must take heed that there be not so much as a dusting of this golden candlestick of the Lord, by the least looseness, or earthliness of our lives. By scandals in the wicked lives of those that are of Gods people, there is a stain and blot cast upon Church communion; here the name of God is polluted; others that are profane, pollute the creatures, and their own consciences, but Gods name is not so much polluted by them; but Gods people do not only pollute their consciences, by their scandalous lives, but pollute Gods name, and it is worse to pollute Gods name, then to pollute your consciences: And therefore know, that joining to the Saints is an aggravation to every sin you commit afterward; and though it be true, that union with the people of God is a mitigation of every cross and affliction, yet it is an aggravation to every sin.